belonging beyond borders, 2025
Mainsite Gallery in Norman, Oklahoma
Where do you belong? What if the answer depends on where you are, or who you’re with?
For transcultural youth—often called Third Culture Kids—belonging is not a fixed answer but a lifelong negotiation. Connected to multiple places yet rooted in none, their identity takes shape in the in-between, where cultures overlap, collide, and blur. This project captures that liminal experience through photography and storytelling, highlighting the voices of transcultural youth living in Norman.
Raised in the Canary Islands with Austrian roots, and later moving to Thailand, I often found myself too different for any one cultural world. The simple question, “Where are you from?” was never simple, leaving me with a persistent sense of not fully belonging anywhere. It wasn’t until my undergraduate years that I discovered the term “Third Culture Kid” and realized my experience wasn’t unique. This realization inspired me to create space for others to navigate similar questions.
This project is a collaboration with nine transcultural youth. We began with an art therapy session to connect with their experiences and then chose an idea together to portray through photography. This exhibition is the result of that process, with each piece reflecting personal and collective stories of what it means to live between worlds—always moving, always becoming, never fully belonging.
